GREEN BUBBLE GUM

Here is another excerpt from Dr. Crittenden's memoirs:

GREEN BUBBLE GUM (1934-9 years old)

One day while we were in Miss Holmes; fourth grade class, I found a penny on the school yard. That was a great deal more important incident in 1934 than it would be today, when most kids don't bother to pick up a lost penny when they see one. I was so excited that I thought I could feel it in my overalls pocket going into class. But when I reached in my pocket to make sure it was safe, it was gone. Evidently, it had fallen out of my pocket when I sat down.

There were two girls sitting behind Charles Emmett and me. They were Doris Larsen and Mildred Smith. Doris sat immediately behind me. When the class stood to recite the Pledge of Allegiance, I noticed a penny lying on top of Doris' side of the desk. As soon as I could, I whispered to Charles Emmett, "Don't look now, but Doris found my penny." He dropped his pencil, leaned over to get it, and looked back at the desk. Coming up, he gave me a significant look, which I interpreted to mean, "That sure is your penny. You ought to find it back!"

That penny began burning a hole in my shoulder.

In a minute I dropped my pencil. Coming up I snatched that penny. At the morning recess, we crossed the street to the little store and bought a hunk of green bubble gum. They had red, yellow, black, and green but all the kids liked green the best. Since I found the penny (twice), Charles Emmett gave me first chew. He counted to 20, after which he took it and chewed his 20. We swapped back and forth until the bell ended recess and summoned us back to class. Since I "owned" the gum, it would be my job to hide it from Miss Holmes. Our usual hiding place for gum was under our seats, but after so many years there were no vacant spots left under there, so I intended to find a vacancy under the top of my side of the desk.

Doris was crying, and Miss Holmes was comforting her, "Now, now Doris. What's wrong?"

"Somebody stole my penny!" About that time, she caught sight of me.

Doris shouted, "I BET IT WAS BILLY! HE NEVER HAS ANY MONEY! What's that you're holding? GREEN BUBBLE GUM?!?!?! You stole my penny and bought green bubble gum with it!"

I had to think of something fast! "Well, that's all right, Doris. We hardly chewed it any. Here, you take the gum."

"But y'all got all the juice out of it!" she wailed. She took the gum anyway, put it in her mouth and began chewing. Her tears dried up. Miss Holmes made her stick it under the seat so she could chew it at lunch.